AGILE IN ACTION

There is no business without customers. The customer is the most important part of the value stream but Ackoff reminds us that an enduring commercial future requires the social system of stakeholders in a company to be taken into account. Deming said the aim for any company is for everybody to gain - shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, community, the environment - over the long term. Shareholders expect maximum return on their investment. Successful business requires customers, forward thinking and innovation, sound economics and ever improving operational effectiveness. Customers want their problems solved, they want help to achieve whatever it is they’re doing. Employees wish for meaningful work with opportunities to learn and be creative in an enjoyable environment that provides job security. Suppliers desire a trusting and equitable partnership. Society wants to see ethical behavior, responsibility, and accountability.

This post is really a sidebar to my musings about purpose and vision. It's reference information rather than any real thoughts of my own, which I've pulled together because I wanted to touch on the theories behind the positive feelings we experience when we have a sense of purpose and do meaningful work.